Taking Chances
by NephilimEQ
Summary: Chandler and Rachel find themselves in some interesting, uhm...circumstances. Please READ & REVIEW! My first Rachel/Chandler fiction piece.
1. Too Many Stains

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**Taking Chances**

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_Summary_: Chandler and Rachel find themselves in an interesting situation...to say the least.

_Rating_: Will most definitely be PG-13 and above in a later chapter.

_Spoilers_: TOW The Flashbacks

_Disclaimer_: I do not own any of these characters, but I do take them out to play with them from time to time...how I wish they were mine!

_Author_: E. Quackenbush aka NephilimEQ aka edq-ocd18

_Author's Notes_: This is my first Rachel/Chandler fic, so please be gentle!

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**Too Many Stains**

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Rachel looked up as she talked to Phoebe and she saw him.

His smile captured her attention...and she felt an odd sensation about her chest. Almost a tightening of the muscles, like an ache wanting to be released.

Then she saw that Chandler was talking to Monica. They weren't together, but she had a distinct feeling that her friend definitely liked him.

However, at the mere thought of them together she had an uncomfortable feeling. She didn't know where it had come from, but she knew that there was something there that she didn't want to think about or look at too closely. Another glance in their direction had her relieved, as he was now making his way over to her.

A small smile made its way across her lips, and she couldn't help to contain it.

There was something about him, and she had never been able to figure out what it was. There was something about his mouth...the way he tilted his head, the way that his eyes lit up.

She wondered, briefly, what it might be like to kiss him. His mouth was so mobile and looked so soft...No.

Rachel drew herself back in, holding herself back from the urge that had come from nowhere. Well, it had come from somewhere, and she knew that it did, but she shoved it down, not wanting to see it.

He maneuvered himself over to where she was talking to Phoebe, and she became fascinated with how the corner of his mouth twitched into an awkward grin as he listened to Phoebe relate her story of when she tried to run from the NYPD. Rachel, too, was trying to keep from grinning as she listened to Phoebe continue to rant.

Phoebe soon finished, but Rachel hadn't heard a single word of what she'd said, as she'd been completely distracted.

Chandler walked towards her, a drink in his hands and his lopsided grin on his face.

"Hey, Rach..." Those two words seemed to be filled with wonderful endearment, and she tried not to blush like a schoolgirl. "You doin' okay?"

Rachel nodded, barely aware that the drink in her hand was dangerously close to spilling.

At that point, he noticed that it was about to go, so he quickly reached out and grabbed it, to prevent it from falling. Rachel looked up in surprise, not fully aware of what had just occurred. Chandler saw the slightly glazed over look in her eyes and became slightly worried, wondering why she was so out of it.

That was when he noticed that some of it had gotten onto her shirt.

"Rachel? You got some on your shirt." At that point she came to her senses, and noticed what had happened to her shirt.

"Oooh, not this one! This is one of my favorite shirts!"

Monica, using her super-sonic "accident-impending" hearing, was over there in an instant. "What just happened? What just spilled? Did it ruin my carpet? Please tell me it was clear!"

Chandler gave her an amused smile. "Gee, it's so nice to see that you were so worried about us, Mon." He gave her a look, and then motioned towards Rachel's shirt. "Rachel accidentally spilled some of her drink onto her shirt. Any suggestions, oh Cleaning Lady?" Monica looked at it, and then spoke.

"Uhm, get that into cold water immediately, but not here. Go over and use the guys' place." With that she left them to it.

Chandler went with her, opening the door to his apartment and putting a hand on Rachel's lower back, guiding her through the doorway.

Rachel was so intent at looking down at her blouse that she barely noticed that she was in a different apartment.

He led her to the bathroom and watched as she closed the door behind her, wondering how a girl could be so distracted by a small stain. It wasn't as though it was the end of the world. After a few moments, she came out of the bathroom, her shirt in her hand, wearing nothing but her bra and her pants.

"Chandler, do you have a shirt I could borrow? The stain isn't coming out."

It took him a moment to regain the power of speech, but he finally managed to stutter out, "Y-Yeah...o-okay, I can do that."

He quickly made his way to his room, trying with all of his might to get the image out of his head, but to no avail.

As pulled a shirt from his dresser drawer, he briefly remembered an instance in college in which he'd made out with a girl...and then he realized that the girl had been Rachel. He practically pulled the whole drawer out as he recalled the memory, and it was enough to make him stop and think about what was going on at that moment.

Rachel was in his apartment half-dressed...and single. Joey wasn't there, and no one was expecting them back at anytime soon.

He could just...Whoa! He could just what? Did he even want to finish that line of thought?

Chandler shook his head, clearing it of the errant hormones that had somehow managed to make themselves known, and he closed his dresser drawer, shirt in hand.

He walked back into the main room. "Hey, Rach...here's a shirt you can use." She was nowhere to be seen. He tentatively called out. "Rach?"

Her voice came from the bathroom. "In here, Chandler. But don't come in...I had to take off my pants because apparently some wine got onto them as well. Not exactly sure how, but it did." At the sudden mental image of Rachel in his bathroom wearing nothing but her bra and panties, he felt a part of himself begin to take interest.

He quickly tried to envision Roseanne Barr naked in order to make it go away...it worked.

Rachel continued to speak. "Hey, Chandler? I'm using your robe that was in here...that's okay, right?"

His problem quickly came back, and he had to suppress a groan.

Why was the universe taunting him in this way? He looked up towards his ceiling, silently pleading for help, completely unsure of what to do.

Chandler made his way back into his room, pulled out a clean pair of boxers from the drawer, and then walked back into the living room, making his way over to the bathroom. He tentatively knocked on the door; his hand that held the clothes was outstretched, and he turned his head the other way, not needing the actual visual of seeing her in his robe.

The thought was enough of a problem...he didn't need the actual _memory_ of seeing her in it as well.

He felt a slight draft as the door opened, and as she reached for the clothes her fingers brushed against his. Rachel held back the slight shiver than ran through her body at the contact and took the clothes.

As she changed, she tried not to think about the situation that she was in...and she failed miserably.

The boxers and the shirt were slightly warm where he had held them in his hand, and it seemed, for a moment, as though he were actually touching her.

She relished in the thought, and then quickly shook it off. She started to fold her shirt and pants, but realized that there was no way that she would be able to get the stain out of them, so why bother? Well, she could always give them to Monica...who could probably stare the stain into disappearing.

Rachel took the clothes and threw them out through the still partially opened bathroom door.

The robe went back onto its' hook, and then she just stood there. She couldn't believe that she was in this situation...she just couldn't believe it.

After a moment, she finally found the courage to leave the bathroom.

As she walked out, she saw Chandler sitting on his couch, his hands in his pockets, waiting for her.

She finally found something to say. "Hey..."

His eyes snapped up from where they had originally been focused on the coffee table, and he gave a half-smile at hearing her soft tone. "Hey..."

Rachel made her way over to the couch, trying to hide the fact that she was slightly uncomfortable with the situation. "So...thanks for the clothes." He gave another hesitant smile. "Not a problem, Rach." With those words, the tension seemed to dissipate, and he lifted his arm to the back of the couch, silently inviting her to sit next to him.

She accepted it, and quickly tucked herself into his side, giving him a friendly hug.

After a brief moment, she raised her head to say thanks once more, but at the same time he turned his head to say something as well, and they suddenly found their lips a mere breath apart.

His blue eyes seemed to catch hers...and he leaned in...

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**Part 1/?**


	2. Not Enough Time

**This chapter is rated slightly higher...lots of heat! Fair warning do I give!**

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**Not Enough Time**

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Their lips brushed against one another and they were lost.

He slowly slid his lips across hers, and she practically melted under his ministrations.

Rachel was surprised at how easily she surrendered to him, but as his hand slid possessively around her waist, drawing her closer to him, the thought left her mind. All she could focus on was how he tasted and felt. He moved with deliberation, and there was no hesitancy in his kiss that she might have expected.

She lightly brushed the tip of her tongue across his lips. God...he tasted good. He was absolutely intoxicating.

At no point did kissing Chandler feel awkward for her. It was as though she'd done it a hundred times before, and was just re-familiarizing herself to his touch.

One of her hands made its' way up into his hair, holding him tightly to her, her grip strong.

After a moment, his lips parted, inviting her in. She gladly gave herself over to it, and their tongues tangled for the first time.

It was slick, wet heat...so intensely erotic that it made her squirm slightly in her seat, rubbing her thighs together, trying to ease the ache between her legs that had suddenly come up from out of nowhere. But it didn't cease, and with each stroke of his tongue against her own, she thought she might die from the heat that was building between her legs.

His hand moved from her waist to her hip, caressing it, gently coaxing her closer to him.

Rachel fell into him, her hand moving from his hair down to his chest, bracing herself against his solidity. She'd never realized how strong he actually was, but now she felt it in the way his muscles slightly flexed beneath his shirt under her hand.

Chandler was in absolute heaven as her hand rested against his chest and they continued to kiss.

He had thought that she would pull away from him, but here she was responding to him wholeheartedly.

He could feel the warmth of her body where his hand was on her hip, right through the fabric of the boxers that she wore. He started to lose it as he felt her shift her leg and begin to slide it over both of his...oh god. She felt so right against him. He'd never had this much heat with anyone before just by kissing.

He slid his hand down as he continued to kiss her, letting it wander. He wrapped his hand around her thigh and he inwardly groaned.

God, she had such smooth skin...it felt so good beneath his fingers.

They continued to devour each other, completely engrossed in what they were doing, unaware of nothing but the two of them, which meant that they didn't even hear the door to the apartment open, and the sound of someone walking in...

* * *

Joey was stunned as he walked into the apartment to find his two best friends making out on the couch. If it had been Ross, he might have believed it, but this was Chandler! The dateless wonder! And out of all people, he was making out with Rachel! He thought that it would have been Monica, if it had been anyone.

He said the first thing that came into his head.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no...No!"

At those words, two faces suddenly snapped to attention.

Rachel brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes, not sure of what to say, her leg still drawn across his legs. Chandler, however, managed to recover more quickly.

"Hiya, Joey..." There was a long pause, which Chandler suddenly felt the need to fill with another comment.

"So _this_ isn't incredibly awkward..."

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**Part 2/?**


	3. When You Thought You Saw It All

**When You Thought You Saw It All...**

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Joey stood there in shock, the door to the apartment still open behind him.

His mouth now gaped open, not sure of what else to say.

Chandler was the first one to come to his senses. "Okay, I know this looks bad..." As he spoke, he gently slid Rachel's leg off of his, trying to regain some of his composure as he'd lost most of it just a few moments before...and it was hard for him to think clearly with her body pressed up against his in such a distracting manner.

He stood up and made his way to the center of the room and continued to explain.

"...But Joey, it was innocent." One hand slid into his front pocket, and he continued to speak, gesturing with the other. "Besides," he said, shifting slightly as he spoke, "It was voluntary on both of our parts."

Joey's eyes snapped over to where Rachel still sat on the couch. "Is this true?" He still sounded incredulous.

She glanced over at Chandler and then back to Joey. She nodded, not willing to trust her vocal chords at the moment, afraid that her voice would crack.

Joey just shook his head in disbelief, and he began to pace, still trying to take in what he'd just seen.

Chandler was at a loss for a moment, but he knew that he had to do _some_thing. What had just happened between him and Rachel had been intense...and he'd felt something happen. It wasn't anything that he could really explain, it was just a feeling...a feeling of _right_ness to what had just happened, to her lips against his own.

To her body against his own.

He shook his head, trying to focus on what was important.

"Okay...so Rachel and I kissed. She's not with anyone, I'm not with anyone..." He kept on racking his brain as to how what they were doing was wrong in any way, because Joey was certainly acting as though it was.

That was when he realized...there was no reason why they shouldn't.

His eyes snapped up to Joey's. Joey recognized the look in his friend's eyes and he rolled his head to one side, upset that he'd figured it out. "Oh, why'd you have to go and _think_, Chandler, huh? Why?"

Chandler raised a hand, his finger pointed at his friend, and at the same time, Rachel got up from the couch, wringing her hands in front of her. Chandler continued to point as he spoke. "_You_ think it's wrong because, because you want us to be with other people! You never even _thought_ that we'd like each other!"

Joey's eyes dropped, and his voice was defeated as he spoke. "Well...can you blame me? I mean, Ross and Rachel, sure! You and Monica...maybe, maybe not..."

His voice drifted slightly as he thought about that, but then he spoke back up one more time. "But you and Rachel? C'mon! You're killin' me here!"

At that point, Chandler and Rachel both looked confused.

Rachel was the first to respond to this outburst. "Huh?"

Joey quickly explained. "Look, they say that opposites attract, right?" They nodded, following. He continued, first talking to Rachel. "Well, let's say if you and Ross got together, okay? Uhhh...he's obsessed with dinosaurs, and you're not! Uhhh, you're all about fashion and he has _no_ fashion sense whatsoever!"

He gave them a look as if to say, "See what I mean?" and they tried not to grin.

"Oh, oh, and Chandler and Monica! Monica is obsessed with cleaning, and you're a total slob!"

Rachel happened to glance over at Chandler. There seemed to be an unspoken question in her eyes. Chandler shrugged. "Eh, it depends on my mood, mostly."

Joey continued on in his speech. "Oh, and another thing! You hate to play competitive sports, and Monica loves them! See? Opposites attract!"

Chandler tried not to grin as he spoke up. "Uhm, Joey...I will admit, there is the saying that opposites attract, but how are Rachel and _I_ alike in any way?" Joey looked at him as if he was stupid. "Seriously? You don't know?" Chandler shook his head, and Rachel joined him, as she, too, did not see how she and Chandler were not opposites.

Joey thought for a moment.

"Oh, okay, I got it. Chandler, you say you don't read, but secretly your favorite book is Little Women! You hide it under your mattress!"

Rachel looked up in surprise, and then gave Chandler a look while Chandler tried to hide his blush. Joey continued on. "Uhhh...and Rachel! Your favorite men's cologne is Timberline, and that's the only cologne that Chandler wears because it's the only one he can afford!"

She looked up at him in surprise again, while at the same time he looked at her in surprise.

Joey appeared to be thinking once more.

"Oh, oh, oh! Chandler always says that he likes pizza the most, but his favorite foods are Chinese food and sushi! And Rachel sneaks Chinese food and sushi for her dinner on the nights that Monica's working late!" This time Rachel looked over at Joey in surprise, wondering how he knew that.

Joey responded before she even had the breath to ask. "I usually eat your leftovers the morning after, before you wake up, _that's_ how I know!"

He then looked at the two of them, a desperate look on his face.

"C'mon, you two...you're too much alike to like each other! Don't ruin the natural laws of relationships!"

At that point, Rachel spoke up. "Uh, Joey, sweetie...it is _possible_ for two people to like each other _because_ they have so much in common."

He glanced at Rachel, an incredulous look on his face, not quite believing what she was saying. He backed up slightly, casting a glance to Chandler as he did so. He shook his head, a grin appearing on his face. "Oh I see...you two are trying to mess with me, aren't you? Make Joey out to be a fool... Well I got news for you! No one messes with a Tribbiani that way!"

With those words, he bolted out of the apartment, running down the hall.

Rachel and Chandler exchanged a confused look.

A few seconds later, Joey reappeared in the hallway in front of the other apartment door, a sheepish look on his face. "Of course, the party's in _this_ apartment..."

With that, he went in, closing the door behind him, while Rachel and Chandler stood there, completely unsure of what to do.

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**Part 3/?**


	4. You Never See It All

**...You Never See It All**

* * *

There was a slight uncomfortable silence, but Rachel couldn't stand it any longer.

"Oohh, this is ridiculous! Why are we listening to Joey?"

Chandler had to admit, she was right. It wasn't as though Joey was the person to talk to about relationships.

He began to pace, gesturing with one hand as he spoke. "Well, he has a point..." Before Rachel could interject, he continued. "We aren't exactly the couple that people would expect would happen...but we do get along pretty darn well, if I do say so myself." With that comment, he grinned and stopped his pacing.

Rachel managed a small smile, but inwardly she was worried. Was Joey right? Were they too much alike to truly get along?

Chandler watched as she began to pace, picking up where he had left off, wringing her hands in front of her. He stared for a moment, watching her moving back and forth, wondering what was going on in her head...while at the same time admiring her legs.

Rachel suddenly stopped pacing and began to speak.

"I mean, how is it that I never knew..." She then saw that Chandler's eyes were focused on her legs.

She cleared her throat. "Ahem, uh, Chandler...I'm up here."

His eyes snapped back up, and he tried to look embarrassed, but it just wasn't coming. How could anyone not look at her legs when they looked like that? _Especially_ when she was wearing his boxers. Good lord in heaven, did the woman not know how sexy she was right at that moment?

She continued. "How is it, that I never knew that we had so much in common? I mean, we've been friends for...how long now? Since you were in college?"

Chandler shrugged, unsure of how to respond. "Well, I guess it's because we've never really, you know..._talked_ before. You know, like a sit down and let's spill our innermost secrets kind of a talk."

At that comment, her eyes lit up. She glanced over at him and was suddenly thrown by how things had changed in a mere few hours.

Not six hours ago, he had merely been one of her five friends; her dorky and funny friend Chandler, that's all he'd been. But now he was...a man.

He was tall, and...good lord, were those biceps? And he had shoulders! How the hell had she never noticed this before? He was handsome. His eyes were an intense blue, and he had an amazing smile...an off-center, quirky smile that always made her body slightly rise in temperature for reasons unknown.

Chandler suddenly noticed that she had stopped pacing, and was now staring at him intently. The look on her face was one that he couldn't quite place...but it seemed so familiar.

Then, everything clicked into place.

It was the look that she gave to the handsome man passing on the street, to the guy in the coffee house who opened the door for her, to the guy in the park who flirted with her in the right way...sometimes, on occasion, even to Ross when they'd been dating. But now it was directed at him. All of it was.

He leaned towards her, placing a hand lovingly along her jaw line, drawing her face towards his, and placed a gentle kiss against her impossibly soft lips.

She leaned into it, a soft moan escaping her lips which soon turned to one of disappointment as he drew away.

"No...no, no, no, don't stop..."

He placed a loving finger against her lips, silencing her in the safest way that he could. "Rachel...you know we have to."

She pulled back slightly and let out a huffy sigh. A childish, pouty, "I-don't-want-to-because-I-know-you're-right-and-I-hate-it" sigh. He gave her a look, an eyebrow arched, and she caved.

"Alright...You're right, you're right!" At that point, she turned away from him and then back towards him, an accusing finger pointed straight at him. "That doesn't mean that I have to like it!"

Chandler nodded. "Duly noted, your highness."

She huffed away, settling back onto the couch where they'd been only minutes before.

It almost seemed like a distant memory already, as though it hadn't actually happened. He had to look at her a second time to remind himself that it actually had, that it wasn't just a part of a fevered day dream thought up from his deep unconscious yearnings.

Yep, it was real. Real enough that he could still feel the residing warmth of where her lips had met his own.

He lifted a hand to his mouth, brushing his fingers against the spot, as though trying to capture a glimmer of the essence of Rachel that had touched him.

Then, a sudden thought appeared in his mind.

This was Ross's Rachel...

...Ross was gonna kill him.

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**Part 4/?**


	5. To Tell or Not to Tell

**To Tell or Not to Tell, That Is the Question**

* * *

Rachel had left, and he was now pacing.

In fact, he was pacing so hard that he wouldn't have been the least bit surprised if he fell through all the apartments beneath his own and hit the basement below with a sickening crunch.

He didn't know how he was going to do this. Rachel hadn't even left the apartment by her own volition. He'd practically had to shove her out of the door. She hadn't wanted to leave...and he secretly hadn't wanted her to, but he knew that if she had stayed he wouldn't have been able to think clearly. And she knew it too.

He wanted to be with her, but he wanted to keep his friendship with Ross.

How the hell was he going to get through this with all of his limbs intact? He just couldn't see a way to do it.

He ran a hand through his hair, trying to sort out his thoughts. There _had_ to be a way of telling Ross without ending up in intensive care...actually, Ross probably wouldn't even have enough guts to do that.

That was what was bothering him the most. He could already see the expression in his mind. The look of immediate anger that would appear on his face, followed by incredulity, and the rest of it followed up by a crestfallen look that would leave Chandler feeling as though he were two inches tall, and hating himself for making Ross feel that way.

Dammit! How the hell was he going to do this?

For a moment he considered just not telling him, as Rachel had suggested only moment before she'd left the apartment...but it wasn't right. It wouldn't be fair to Ross.

"Ughhh!"

With his exclamation of frustration, he collapsed onto the couch, briefly wondering how Rachel had been received by Monica back at the party.

* * *

As Rachel slipped in through the front door, trying to stay unnoticed, she failed miserably as Phoebe startled her and the door ended up slamming behind her instead of silently closing.

Everyone looked towards the door, and Rachel suddenly realized that she felt as though she were absolutely naked. Actually, considering the fact that she was wearing Chandler's boxers and one of his shirts, naked was sounding preferable at that point.

"Hi..."

Her voice drifted, but soon everyone turned away from her and returned to their conversations.

Rachel let out a sigh of relief, but soon realized that did so too soon. Monica walked over to where she stood, a worried look on her face, and from the corner of the room she saw Joey glaring at her, his lips set in a grim line, obviously having a hard time keeping the news of his two friends' illicit liaison to himself.

She sighed as Monica latched herself to her arm and began grilling her.

"What are you wearing? Are those...wait a second, why do you smell like Chandler?"

Dammit, dammit, dammit! Why did Monica have to be so damn observant all of the time? Her natural inquisitiveness made it next to impossible to keep a secret in this group of friends...actually, everyone in their group was somewhat nosy. 'Not Chandler, though,' she thought to herself, forgetting to answer Monica's question.

Phoebe, who was still standing next to her, suddenly clasped her hand over her mouth in shock, putting the wrong pieces of the puzzle together. "Oh my god, you did it with Chandler? Under ten minutes...huh, don't know if I should be impressed or not."

Monica's eyes widened in shock as Rachel hastily tried to explain, her voice in a hushed whisper, not wanting Ross to overhear...or anyone overhear, for that matter.

"No, no, no, no! It's not like that!" She glanced over to where Ross stood, her eyes flitting once more to Joey. He was still staring daggers at her.

"Look, can we talk about this later?" she said as she walked across the apartment, heading towards her room to change into a dress. Neither of her friends answered, instead following her to her room, obviously intent on getting the full story out of her before the party was over. Rachel sighed as she heard Phoebe close her bedroom door behind the three of them. This was going to take a while...

* * *

**Part 5/?**


	6. The Truth Comes Out

**The Truth Comes Out**

* * *

Phoebe gave her a look. "So? What happened?"

Rachel sighed, opening up her closet, trying to find a dress that she could slip on. She deliberately ignored her two friends behind her, trying to cut them out of her thoughts…and found it surprisingly easy to do. She slipped her shirt off, briefly remembering the feel of Chandler's lips against her own.

"Seriously, Rachel…what happened?"

This time it was Monica who was asking, and Rachel let out a sound of exasperation as she turned to them.

"Okay, seriously? Are we doing this now? Because I would much rather be out there in the apartment having a good time, wearing a pretty dress! So will you please help me pick something out, already, you guys?"

Monica looked shock, but Phoebe took it in stride. "Okay, okay! Fine, don't tell us! See if we care!"

Rachel gave a small smile of relief and turned back to her closet, absentmindedly fingering her dark blue sheath, wondering if it would be too dressy. Suddenly Phoebe yelled, "Get her!" and Rachel found herself pinned beneath the two of her friends on her bed.

"Okay, now you're going to tell us _exactly_ what happened, or else I will-I will…" Her friend's voice drifted and Rachel realized that they hadn't exactly thought out this part of the plan. Then Monica rushed to Rachel's closet and pulled out her white pantsuit. She put her hands on one of the sleeves, her eyes steeled.

Monica finished Phoebe's threat. "Or the pantsuit gets it!"

Rachel, from her practically hogtied position beneath one of her friends, let out a gasp and shot her room-mate a death glare. "You wouldn't!"

She saw Monica hesitate, and then saw her resolve kick in and her hands tighten on the pristine white sleeve. "Yes, Rachel. I would." With that, she started to pull slightly, but it was obvious that was inwardly cringing at what she was about to do.

Rachel broke. "Fine! Fine…I'll tell you what happened if you leave the pantsuit alone! Alright?"

Monica let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god, I don't think I could have gone through with that. I mean…it's a _really_ nice pantsuit."

Phoebe, however, was less than convinced and stayed positioned over the blonde.

"You promise not to try and bolt?"

Rachel shook her head and sighed. "Yes, Phoebe, I promise that I won't try to leave."

With that promise made, she pulled herself off of her friend, but then moved towards the door, crossing her arms across her chest, as though acting as a warden for the room. The look in her eyes was serious, and that made it all the more difficult for Rachel not to smile in amusement.

Monica placed the pantsuit back into the closet and turned to face her friend as well, however with a look of worry etched across her features.

"So…sweetie…what happened between you two? I mean, you were gone for a bit, and now you're wearing his clothes. Please tell me there's a good explanation. One that _doesn't_ involve sex."

Rachel sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her two friends, and found herself sighing in frustration this time. It was fairly obvious that they were not going to let her change, let alone leave the room, without finding out _exactly_ what had transpired between her and Chandler. She gave in.

* * *

Both Monica and Phoebe stared at her in shock. Phoebe seemed to be taking it better than Monica, and Rachel had a sinking feeling that she knew exactly why. She'd suspected for the past couple of weeks that Monica might be harboring a tiny crush on Chandler, but luckily she seemed to be taking it better than she hoped.

Phoebe was the first to comment. "Well, okay then. Is he a good kisser?"

Rachel looked at her in shock. "Phoebe!"

Phoebe shrugged her shoulders, as though innocent. "Well, I'm just asking! It's not like we've ever been able to talk to any of his girlfriends before and find out. I mean, I've always been curious as to how each of the guys kiss, and now we have someone with insider information."

Rachel sighed. It was a typical Phoebe comment, but she knew better than to divulge that kind of information when Monica was looking so uncomfortable.

"I'm, I'm gonna go check on the snacks, alright?"

She watched as her friend walked out of the room, wringing her hands in front of her the entire time. That had always been a telltale sign that she was uncomfortable with something. Phoebe, of course, was still oblivious of this fact.

Phoebe winked at her. "So, tongue or no tongue?"

Rachel glared at her, but finally capitulated. "Alright, alright. Chandler's a great kisser, okay? And yes, there was tongue, but I really don't see how it's any of your business." With that she pointed at her, giving her what she felt to be an intimidating glare.

Phoebe scoffed at her less-than intimidating look, and placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder.

"Rachel, when it comes to your love life, it's _every_body's business."

With that, she walked out the door, leaving her standing there alone, still not changed for the party. Rachel stood there for a few moments, and then sighed. What was the point of going back out to the party now? With that in mind she simply turned off the lights and slipped beneath the covers.

She could at least try to sleep and pretend that all was normal for a few blissful hours.

* * *

**Part 6/?**


	7. Lunch Date

**Lunch Date**

* * *

Chandler slowly woke up, briefly wondering where he was, and then realized that he'd fallen asleep on the couch. He pulled himself up from the cushions, and then realized that it was six in the morning. He had been asleep since eight o' clock... He had slept for ten hours?

At that thought, he bolted up from his position and ran to the bathroom, his bladder suddenly making itself known.

After relieving himself, only one thought was on his mind. Rachel.

It had only been ten hours, and he'd slept for all of them, but he was missing her desperately. She was the only person that he could use his sarcastic wit around and actually have it be recognized as such. She was very much on the same level as he was.

A quick glance in the mirror told him that he definitely needed to shave.

He pulled out his razor and took his time. He was _not_ going to look like a total slob when he saw her next.

As he shaved, he wondered, yet again, how the _hell_ he was going to tell Ross. There was only one thing that he knew for sure about that meeting…someone was going to be hurt. He didn't know whether or not it would be physical, but he knew for sure that someone would _definitely_ be emotionally crippled.

With that thought weighing heavily on his mind, he headed back to his room to change, ready to pull out some khakis, like he always wore, when his eyes lit upon a bag that had been sitting in his closet for the past few months. It had been a gift from his mother; a pair of black designer jeans, two nice sport coats, and three nice shirts. He had been avoiding it for fear of looking like a fool, but now… He grinned. Rachel would probably _love_ to see him in something other than his usual.

And designer clothes, at that? He would _definitely_ get some bonus points there.

With that in mind, he slipped on the jeans, proud of the fact that he was still in shape after all of his years of not eating healthy…specifically his college years.

He pulled out a rich blue V-neck, long-sleeve shirt and slid it on…and was surprised at how well it fit. Huh…apparently his mother knew him better than he realized. He looked at the sport coats and decided the black one would go best.

As he shrugged into it, he suddenly felt a surge of confidence that he hadn't felt in a long time.

With a slight swagger to his step, he slipped his wallet into his back pocket, his cellphone into his jacket, and left the apartment, a grin spread across his lips.

He wondered whether or not he should hail a cab, but decided to walk. As he strode down the long familiar streets, he slipped his phone from his jacket pocket and dialed in Rachel's work number, thinking of asking her to lunch. They were also friends, and lunch between friends wasn't the least bit out of place, so no one would question it.

The phone rang once. Twice. Three times.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Rachel. It's me. Wanna catch some lunch with me?"

He heard her pause a moment, and then he could practically hear her smile. "I'd love to, Chandler. Where at?"

He looked just beyond where he stood and grinned at the place he could see. She would love it, he just knew it.

"How about the new café on fifth? You know, _Miranda__'__s_?"

There was a long pause, and then she said okay, and they hung up. He walked down to the café and slid in, quickly grabbing a corner table for the two of them. He glanced around the small, but cozy eatery, and then took a look at the menu, hoping to get something for her before she arrived.

But before he could even decide, he saw a familiar flash of blonde hair near the front of the café.

He lifted his hand to catch her attention and he managed to catch her eye, and then watched with a smile as she headed back to where he sat.

As she sat down across from him, he briefly wondered how he had never noticed how stunning she always was.

She was wearing black Ralph Lauren designer dress pants, along with a pale blue blouse that was so pale blue that it was almost white, and the black coat that matched her pants was thrown over her left arm, along with her plain, thrift-store purse. It was so absolutely Rachel that it made him smile.

She flashed him a smile and he reached across the table for her hand, silently thrilled as he felt her fingers entwine with his own.

She was here for _him_. It was almost too much to comprehend.

He broke the pleasant silence. "So…how's work been?"

She sighed, but a grin stretched across her lips as she began to tell him what had happened in the past week. Interestingly enough, only he and Rachel had regular type jobs out of all of their friends. They worked from nine to five, had lunch breaks, and very little vacation time.

They ordered their lunches, but he could not remember for the life of him what they ate, instead completely focused on being with Rachel and enjoying the moments that they had.

After they finished, he escorted her out and decided to walk her back to her work. It was only a few blocks down, and he needed to stretch his legs anyway.

They stopped in front of her building, and she grinned at him, tugging lightly at the edge of his sport coat as they stood there, not quite ready to part ways.

"By the way, Chandler…where'd you get the clothes?"

He gave her a sheepish grin, the twinkle in his eyes lighting them up in a way that she realized was wonderfully endearing. How had she never noticed that before? There was something utterly charming about him, and wearing those clothes made her realize that there was a lot more to him than met the eye.

He shrugged as he continued to grin and reached his hand out to hers, grasping it with a firm touch.

"Well…my mom got them for me. She says that I'm hopeless when it comes to clothes, so she decided to get me these." He gave her a slightly self-conscious grin. "You really like them?"

Rachel's eyes lit up and let out a small laugh.

"Like them? I love them!" She motioned for him to turn around so that she could more admire the way the clothes fit him, and only one thought was in her head. _Yummy_. Then she took a closer look at the style and suddenly realized the brand of the clothes. "Wait…Chandler…are those Armani?"

He shrugged again. "How should I know? For all I know, they could be Osh Kosh B'Gosh. Clothing is not my area of expertise. However, it is yours."

She grinned at his humor, and pulled him close, sliding her hands underneath his jacket and around his waist.

His normal playful grin turned slightly suggestive and she felt herself melt underneath the look. She'd never seen the look before, but my god! No wonder Janice had come back for more.

"Are you looking for something, Miss Green?"

She gave him a soft smile and suddenly realized that whenever she was around him, she couldn't seem to stop smiling. Even when she thought about him, she couldn't seem to stop from grinning like a total fool. This was _definitely_ new territory for her, emotion wise.

She shrugged slightly, tilting her head as she looked up at him.

"Just you, Mr. Bing."

At that, he seemed to read her thoughts, and she found herself holding her breath as he leaned down and gently placed a loving kiss on her lips.

She felt herself melt into the kiss, and in the back of her mind she realized that she probably shouldn't be doing this outside of her office, but, as she rationalized to herself, no one in her office had ever even met any of her friends, and no one in their group of friends ever came to this side of town, so why the hell not?

Just as things began to heat up, Chandler slowly pulled away, gently extricating her arms from around his waist.

He lifted her hands to his lips and placed the briefest of kisses against the back of her knuckles, his eyes promising her more to come.

"Sorry, sweetie…but I have to go, as do you. See you later?"

She nodded and felt something inside of her begin to sing with joy at the look that she saw in his eyes.

"You can count on it."

With that, he flashed her one of his 'devil-may-care' grins, and sauntered off in the opposite direction, obviously pleased with the way that he affected her. He had to control himself because inside he wanted to run and skip in utter joy at what was happening, but now was the time to be a man…but not _too_ much of one. Rachel seemed to like his boyish charm and so he felt that he could easily hold onto it for her.

Across the street, standing there in utter shock just outside of the bank, Ross stood there completely unnoticed by either of them, his brow furrowed as he watched Rachel walk into her building, a grin plastered on her face.

Coffee was spilled across his shirt and his jacket, but he hardly noticed through the haze of red that was slowly clouding his vision.

No…this couldn't be happening.

* * *

**Part 7/?**


	8. The Cat is Out

**The Cat is Out**

* * *

Chandler walked into his apartment, tossing his keys carelessly on the table, not noticing the dark figure that sat on the couch across the room.

He started to loosen his tie, one that he'd grabbed at the office, grateful to be home from work. He'd only put in a half-day of work, but there'd been a backlog of files that someone from above had decided to give him, so he was home just slightly later than usual. He glanced to the phone and thought about calling Rachel.

However, before he had even taken off his jacket, he heard a voice speak up from across the room.

"So…went down to Fifth Street today to fill out some bank statements for a new exhibit we're opening at the museum…and _guess_ what I see right across the street?"

Chandler immediately recognized Ross's voice, and then realized what he was talking about.

Oh no. Oh dear god, no.

He'd seen them together. He'd seen them…kiss.

Chandler immediately took up a defensive position behind one of the dining table chairs as he saw Ross rise from the couch, pure, unadulterated anger in his eyes. _Please __don__'__t __let __him __hurt __me, __please __don__'__t __let __him __hurt __me_, was Chandler's silent prayer to the empty ceiling above him.

He watched Ross advance across the floor and Chandler attempted to explain, not wanting to get into a physical confrontation with one of his oldest friends.

"Look, Ross...you don't understand. Rachel and I-"

Ross cut him off, still advancing towards him. He walked slowly, but determinedly, like he had all the time in the world.

"Rachel and you? Rachel…and _you? _Do you have any _idea_ how wrong that is? You were my _best __friend_, Chandler! My BEST friend! And now, you go after the _one_ woman I've ever, _truly_, loved?"

Chandler didn't know how to respond to that, and he continued to back up, silently wondering where the _hell_ Joey was, and praying that he would show up soon.

He stuttered as he tried to find something, _any_thing to say that might dissuade him from his actions, but in his head he realized that Ross had already used the past tense in regards to their friendship, which meant that he had to do a _lot_ in order to salvage it.

"Ross, p-please think about what you're doing! Y-You and Rachel aren't even _together_ anymore! And I…"

He paused, realizing the truth of what he was about to say, and the impact of the truth of it hit him hard as he said the words.

"And I…Ross, I _love_ her. She's the only one, the only _person_ that I've ever met who makes me feel…well, complete. I don't…I don't know what I'd do without her."

His voice got soft and he felt his heart clench as he spoke. Never had those three little words come so easily to him before. Never had they sounded so _right_, so perfect. Dear god…he was head over heels in love with her…and he was scared shitless at what it all meant.

The look in Ross's eyes did not lessen, and just when Chandler couldn't move any further back, just when he was certain that Ross was going to throw a punch…Joey walked in.

He looked at the scene before him, and quickly figured out what had happened.

"Dude! You told him, Chandler? You told him about you and Rachel _already_? I told you to give it at least a week, man!"

At this, Ross's gaze snapped from Chandler over to Joey.

"You _knew_ about them?"

At this comment, Joey got his guilty look and began to squirm like he always did when he was found out. He began to rub his hands back and forth, obviously trying to figure out what he could say to get himself out of the hole that he'd suddenly plummeted into.

"Well…sort of. More like I walked in on them making out on the couch…"

He started to grin, but his grin and voice faded as he saw Ross's face start to redden with rage, and so he quickly stepped up his game, realizing that Rachel and Chandler needed an advocate and that he might be the only one who would be able to stand up for the both of them, as he had witnessed firsthand how they felt about each other.

"Look, Ross…that isn't the point, alright! I mean, who are _you_ to cast judgment on them?"

Ross looked surprised at Joey's outburst, and he physically took a step back, away from where Joey stood.

Joey, obviously not finished in his tirade, continued, to both Ross's and Chandler's surprise.

"Look, Ross, I understand that Rachel was your obsession-" Ross tried to interrupt, obviously trying to correct him, but Joey cut him off. "No. Don't you go trying to say that she was the only woman that you ever loved. Did you forget Carol? I mean, you married her, so you obviously thought that you were in love with her, too!"

At this, Ross's rage diminished slightly as he realized where Joey was going.

"Ross…you're acting like you have some sort of stamp on Rachel. That because you got to have her, no one else can touch her, now. She is _not_ an idiot who doesn't know her own mind or heart."

Joey could see that Ross was about to protest, but he motioned for him to keep quiet and kept talking.

"I know you hate to think about it, but Rachel is not 'yours' any more. She _cares_ for Chandler, alright? Rachel is a grown woman and you're a grown man…though right now you're acting like your sixteen. She deserves the respect to make her own mistakes without you-"

"Hey! I'm in the _room!_"

Joey gave a nod in Chandler's direction at his outburst, but continued.

"Like I was saying…Rachel deserves the respect to make her own _decisions_ on her own and to learn from them. You can't still be the protective boyfriend any more, Ross. You want to know why? Because you're _not_ her boyfriend."

At this, Chandler finally felt that it was safe to come out from behind his chair, and carefully inched his way over to where Ross stood with his hands in his pockets, looking down at the floor.

"Uh…Ross?"

His tone was tentative and his body was ready to spring at any second should Ross come up swinging…but he didn't.

Instead, as Ross raised his head, the look he saw on Ross's face made him feel a brief stab of regret, but it didn't linger. Ross had needed to hear those things, and even though Chandler hadn't had the guts to say it to him himself, he was still glad that they _had_ been said.

Finally, Ross spoke, but with none of vitriol in his voice that had been there only minutes earlier.

"Uh…wow. You're right, Joe. You…are _absolutely_ right."

He almost sounded defeated and it tore Chandler up inside that he was doing this to his best friend, but he knew that it had to be done.

He placed a tentative hand on his friend's shoulder and let out an internal sigh of relief when Ross didn't try to shrug the hand off or pull away from him. He squeezed Ross's shoulder, trying to convey his sympathy, but at the same time was internally relieved that he now could see Rachel without having to worry and look over his shoulder.

Ross looked him in the eye, leveling his gaze, and Chandler waited for the inevitable question.

"Chandler…I just have to know _one_ thing."

Chandler nodded. "Anything man."

There was a long and pregnant pause, during which Joey began to squirm, but then Ross finally spoke.

"Do you really love her?"

Chandler nodded again, his expression turning into one of strong self-assurance, a soft grin crossing his mouth.

"Yeah, man. I really do."

With that, Ross clapped his hand over Chandler's, where it still lay on his shoulder, giving him an apologetic smile, and then walked out the apartment door, leaving behind two very relieved men. Chandler glanced over at Joey, still slightly shocked at how well Joey had resolved the situation.

Joey, however, had already forgotten the situation and was rooting through the refrigerator. Chandler, however, couldn't contain his shock at what his friend had just done and spoke up about it.

"Dude! How did you do that?"

Joey looked up from his exploration of the fridge, a huge chunk of turkey hanging from his mouth. "Owd I ooh hat?"

Chandler just shook his head, turning away and staring at the door that his other friend had just walked out of. And that was when it hit him. Ross had given them his blessing…he was really getting the chance to be with Rachel.

But now, she was no longer just Rachel…she was the woman he loved.

He couldn't wait to tell her.

* * *

**Part 8/?**


	9. How Does It Go, Again?

**How Does It Go, Again?**

* * *

Rachel Greene walked out of her office with a grin on her face, one that hadn't left her face since several hours before.

It was a strange feeling, but it was a wonderful feeling. As she walked down the street, she briefly reminisced about the feelings that she'd thought were love in the past.

As each one crossed her mind, she carefully thought about how they had affected her.

There had been Barry, the man that she'd almost married. With him it had been mutual friendship and some physical attraction, albeit not much, and the main attraction for her, of course, had been the title that would have gone along with her being married to him. Obviously not love.

With Paulo, it had been nothing but intense physical passion. Animal attraction and nothing more.

And then, of course, there was Ross. She had been certain at one point that he was the one; that he was the person that she'd be with for the rest of her life. He was smart, a little sexy, incredibly caring, and was, most of the time, willing to share with her about his feelings.

But then there was Chandler…

Rachel had no words to explain it. Just the thought of his name at that moment made her grin like a fool and her heart lightened simply at the fact that she knew that she was going to see him.

As she walked into the apartment building and headed up the stairs, she wondered when he'd changed in her eyes.

It was strange that she couldn't target a particular moment. It hadn't been a sudden realization, and there hadn't been any romantic tensions between them to give her any hints as to how they had come to like each other. Except for their brief, drunken make-out session at that college party that she and Monica had been invited to by Ross their senior year of high school, but that didn't even count.

It was as though her view of him had changed so slowly that she'd never even noticed herself seeing him differently, until the other night.

Rachel then remembered the lingering look he had given her just last night when they had been talking after Joey had left the apartment. It had been an odd sensation. She thought of how she had felt when he had stared at her and she realized that it was different than with anyone else that she'd ever been with.

With Barry, it was just staring; with Paulo, she knew he was looking at her beauty; with Ross, like she was his prize…but with Chandler, it was something entirely different.

It seemed that when _he_ looked at her, he simply saw and wanted…her. Just plain Rachel Greene, a young and insecure woman who was still trying to find her footing in the real world, though she was very good at pretending that she had everything under control.

Chandler seemed to be the only one who saw the real her and embraced it.

The few times that Ross had really seen that side of her, it had seemed to make him uncomfortable and afraid. As though he needed her to be the strong one.

With Chandler, though, he seemed to really want to know that side of her and was completely unafraid of it; embraced it, even.

As she walked into the apartment, she didn't even notice when Monica called her name, because of how much she was wrapped up in her thoughts about Chandler. Everything at that moment felt light as she seemed to glide across the floor to her room, dropping her purse on the floor.

She shut her bedroom door behind her, vaguely aware of Monica's exasperation, but she honestly couldn't care less.

Slipping out of her clothes and into an old t-shirt, she got under the covers of her bed, her thoughts still on Chandler's kiss from earlier that day.

She sighed and silently prayed for her dreams to be of a certain blue-eyed, brown haired man…

* * *

Monica sat in the quiet living room, sorting through her recipes for the next week's meals, carefully alphabetizing the ingredients for each recipe. Suddenly, she heard someone banging on the door, the sound easily breaking through the stillness, and she quickly stood up and stormed over to the door, yanking it open.

There was Chandler, obviously in the middle of about to bang one more time on the door, but Monica's words stopped him.

"Stop it now, or I'll turn your _head_ into a door knocker!"

His raised hand slowly returned back to his side, where he then slipped both hands into his pockets and cowered slightly at her glare.

"I'll be good."

She merely gave a shrug and gestured him in, her recipe book in her hand.

"So…what brings you by at this time of night?"

He shrugged slightly, his hands still in his pockets. "Uh…nothing really. Is, is Rachel up? I, uh…I was kinda hoping that I could talk to her."

Monica, focused on putting her recipes back into their proper order, barely registered the fact that he was talking. She faintly gestured towards Rachel's room, fairly distracted by the mess on the table in front of her. "She's in her room, asleep. Had a really long day, so I guess she's crashing."

He walked across the room and stood in front of Rachel's door, faltering between wanting to wake her up and tell her the good news and wanting to let her sleep.

Chandler finally pulled away from the door, setting himself in the chair closest to her room.

He would wait all night if he had to, just so he could tell her the good news.

Over the next hour he kept glancing towards her door, silently annoying Monica, but she said nothing and soon disappeared into her own room. The clock ticked by at an infinitesimally slow pace, but he held on through the night. It seemed that he was in for a long wait.

Nothing was going to keep him from her.

* * *

**End 9/?**


End file.
